


If I See Further

by historymiss



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/historymiss/pseuds/historymiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A birthday fic for my number one science bro, vanessasketch!</p>
            </blockquote>





	If I See Further

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vanessasketch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanessasketch/gifts).



Tony Stark isn't naturally given to collaboration. His friends- well. Until recently, he only had one friend that didn't start out as an employee. Science might be a business of teamwork, ideas flowing freely, but Tony's never been all that good with sharing ('There was an incident' he jokes with Bruce, only it's not really a joke. 'With some Lincoln logs'). 

His best invention had been a collaboration, of course. But it had been- unexpectedly cut short. 

(Sometimes, he speaks to Yinsen in the workshop. He hopes he'd be proud. More likely he'd be annoyed. Let the poor man rest: he'd earned it).

Tony missed it. He didn't realise its until he met Bruce. He'd done the reading. An academic exercise, at first, after the dust from the Stark Expo had settled and the news from Harlem had gotten through. After Coulson's third visit, it became homework, and over all the rest Bruce's story fascinated him. The dossier only sketched things out in the barest details- something went wrong, they say, but Tony looks at the file and thinks, no, something went right. 

The files don't mention Bruce's dry humor. The way he can't hide his emotions, though they find themselves expressed in different ways, sublimated twitches and guilty smiles. How he gets genuinely happy when he works, how he quotes old science fiction shows when he's explaining theories. 

"You came back." Tony says, stupidly (Bruce can make him stupid, sometimes), the first time he returns to the Tower. Bruce shrugs guiltily. Ducks his head. 

"Couldn't get decent conversation anywhere else."

Tony could kiss him then (but he doesn't, not yet, anyway)- instead he grins, big and genuine, and throws an arm around the other man's shoulders and hey, Bruce doesn't flinch, not even a little bit.

"I had, uh, I had some ideas about our last project, too-"

He looks down at his hands, like he's come with nothing (even if Bruce is, in himself, and with his ideas and his work, one of the most generous men Tony knows).

"You know what Banner?" Tony guides him through the door, takes away his bag and his burdens and waits to see Bruce's face light up when he takes in the new equipment. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


End file.
